Yes, Black People Can Contract The Coronavirus
Are Black people immune to the Coronavirus? In February 2020, Cityscrollz.com claimed Cameroonian college student Kem Senou Pavel Daryl contracted the infectious disease in China but was expeditiously “cured” because of his blood. The website also credited the young man’s “black skin” because “the antibodies of a black are 3 times stronger, powerful and resistant compare to that of white.” That sentence is copied directly from the article … so there’s that.
TREATMENT OR DNA?
While it is true Kem recovered from Coronavirus in China, it was only after being placed in isolation for 13 days and receiving antibiotic treatments typically administered to HIV patients. According to the BBC, “After two weeks of care he began to show signs of recovery. The CT scan showed no trace of the illness. He became the first African person known to be infected with the deadly coronavirus and the first to recover. His medical care was covered by the Chinese state.”
So contrary to the report circulating social media, Africans, African-Americans and any sort of person with melanin in their skin is susceptible to the contagion. There have already been confirmed reports of at least one infected person in Egypt.
WHY CORONAVIRUS IS SO FRIGHTENING
COVID-19 (as it’s referred to by medical experts) isn’t racist. It’s an equal opportunity infectious disease that fails to discriminate based on skin complexion, religious belief or social class. We suspect that’s what’s terrifying about “pandemics” in general: the randomness of the infected. From Iran’s Vice President to a high school student in Washington State, the Coronavirus is a threat to everyone.
Listen I get it, our ancestors survived the middle passage, slavery, Jim Crow, and centuries of systematic racism, which means we are strong as hell. But that doesn’t mean we are immune to the Coronavirus.
There are however ways you can protect yourself from infection. We’ve compiled that information at this link.
Eric has revolved in and out of passport controls for over 20 years. From his first archaeological field school in Belize to rural villages in Ethiopia and Buddhist temples in Laos, Eric has come smile to smile with all walks of life. A writer, photographer and entrepreneur, the LA native believes the power of connectivity and community is enriched through travel.